MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Elgar: The Kingdom, Op. 51 / Sursum corda, Op. 11 / etc

MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Elgar: The Kingdom, Op. 51 / Sursum corda, Op. 11 / etc cover $35.00 Low Stock add to cart

EDWARD ELGAR
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Elgar: The Kingdom, Op. 51 / Sursum corda, Op. 11 / etc
Margaret Marshall, Felicity Palmer, Arthur Davies & David Wilson-Johnson / London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox

[ Chandos 241 / 2 CD ]

Release Date: Saturday 1 August 2015

Should this item be out of stock at the time of your order, we would expect to be able to supply it to you within 2 - 5 business days.

Following the success of The Dream of Gerontius in 1900 and The Apostles in 1903, the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival commissioned Elgar to produce another large oratorio for the 1906 festival. The Kingdom continues the narrative of the lives of Jesus' disciples, depicting the community of the early church, Pentecost, and the events of the next few days. Although less frequently performed than The Dream of Gerontius, The Kingdom is considered one of Elgar's greatest choral works, and deserves to rank alongside it.

This re-release of the 1989 recording also features Sursum Corda and Sospiri, two short, reflective instrumental pieces. If in the former - produced in a great hurry in 1894 - Elgar adopted a style which was to mature over the next years, he was overtaken by his own nature in the latter - first performed soon after the outbreak of war in 1914 - and produced a heartfelt personal statement which in its small compass conveys the emotion of the great slow movements of his finest works.

"From the very first moments of the orchestral prologue it's clear that Richard Hickox's recording of this "sequel" to The Apostles is going to be appropriately magisterial, and the singing is first-class, especially from David Wilson-Johnson."
James Longstaffe

NOTE: Although there are copies still available overseas of the original released box set, the slim line edition is now hard to find

NOTE: There is some minor damage to the booklet as it is too large to fit into the slimline casing.

Tracks:

The Kingdom, Op. 51
Sospiri, Op. 70
Sursum corda, Op. 11